" MAWU "IS THE WEST AFRICAN MOON GODDESS; SHE RULES BOTH THE MOON AND THE NIGHT SKY. SHE IS HONORED FOR THE COOL TEMPERATURES SHE BRINGS TO THE AFRICAN WORLD. COOLNESS IS AN EXPRESSION OF WISDOM AND AGE. SHE IS THE ESSENCE OF MOTHERHOOD AND TEACHES HER PEOPLE HOW TO CELEBRATE AND REVERE THEIR ANCESTORS. SHE IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH FERTILITY AND COMPASSION. COWRIE NECKLASSES ARE SACRED TO HER.

AS A DEITY, SHE IS SEEN AS A CREATOR, BUT SHE RARELY HAS SHRINES AND RITUALS DEDICATED TO HER. IT IS SAID THAT SHE CREATED THE UNIVERSE AS SHE RODE ABOUT ON THE BACK OF A GREAT SERPENT WHO WAS SO BIG, HE COULD ENCIRCLE THE SKY. HER TWIN AND CONSORT IS THE SUN GOD, LIZA, THE MALE PRINCIPLE. THEIR UNITY REPRESENTS THE ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE. LIZA DWELLS IN THE EAST AND MAWU IN THE WEST...AND EACH TIME THERE IS AN ECLIPSE, THEY ARE BELIEVED TO BE MAKING LOVE...AND EACH TIME THEY MADE LOVE, THIS LED TO A NEW ACT OF CREATION AND HAS DONE SO EVER SINCE.